First Ever US Pay TV Subscriber Losses a “Harbinger of Near-Term Market Decline”

The thirteen largest multi-channel video providers in the US — representing about 94% of the market — have seen a net loss of 80,000 subscribers over the past year, compared to a net gain of about 380,000 over the prior year, according to research conducted by Leichtman Research Group (LRG). LRG say this marks the first time there has been a net industry-wide subscriber loss over a four-quarter period since LRG began tracking the industry over a decade ago.

Commenting on the research, Bruce Leichtman, President and Principal Analyst for Leichtman Research Group, said he was pessimistic about the multichannel video provider’s future prospects. “First-time ever annual industry-wide losses reflect a combination of a saturated market, an increased focus from providers on acquiring higher-value subscribers, and some consumers opting for a lower-cost mixture of over-the-air TV, Netflix and other over-the-top viewing options.”

“The traditionally weak second quarter is sure to show additional net subscriber losses, but it is unlikely that these current modest industry losses are a harbinger of a more dramatic near-term market decline.”